Another bomb blast struck Nigeria's capital Wednesday, this time hitting an upscale shopping mall, killing at least 21 and injuring 17, according to police.
A BBC reporter says the blast could be heard for miles, and that black smoke filled the sky over Abuja. Though no group has taken blame for the attack yet, officials are already pointing the finger at the militant group Boko Haram.
That group has claimed responsibility for two previous bombings in Abuja, including a bus bombing back in April that killed 88 and a car bombing in May that killed 19. (Via Sahara TV)
The group has also carried out scores of attacks across the country, including bombing a World Cup viewing party last week and, of course, kidnapping hundreds of children like the more than 200 girls taken hostage back in April. (Via Euronews, ABC)
President Goodluck Jonathan compared the situation to the country's civil war in the late '60s, saying, "It is even more than the civil war because in a civil war you know the battle line ... you know where to run to." (Via Daily Times Nigeria)
The mass kidnapping of schoolgirls caused Nigeria's troubles to come to the fore of world news, inspiring protests and international aid. But two and a half months later, the girls still haven't been freed. (Via CNN, The White House)
Vox claims it only took about a month for the BringBackOurGirls campaign to fade from the headlines, arguing the spike of international interest may have ultimately done more harm than good. "The one real impact may have been to numb Westerners to Nigeria and it's problems."
For now, it doesn't look like the Nigerian government has made much progress fighting back against the terrorist group. An Al Jazeera reporter says it could be because they just don't have the manpower to fight an insurgency.
"By the time the security forces deploy to one area, they'll find their way to another area and attack it. So it's becoming ... difficult for the security forces to tackle this head on because, at the moment, it looks like they are overstretched."
